Papers by Joshua Teitelbaum
Scholars inquiring into Saudi–Egyptian or Hijazi–Egyptian relations, or the history of modern Sau... more Scholars inquiring into Saudi–Egyptian or Hijazi–Egyptian relations, or the history of modern Saudi state formation, have been tempted to concentrate on the June 1926 attack by the tribal Ikhwan on the Egyptian Maḥmal, or pilgrimage caravan, as the key to understanding these relations. But such a courte durée, sometimes known as the événementielle approach, leaves out much rich depth. In fact, when placed within the wider time frame of the longue durée of relations between Egypt and the Hijaz, which is Arabia's western littoral region and home to Islam's holiest places, its historical significance becomes more about ending Egyptian claims of primacy in the Hijaz than achieving internal Saudi state consolidation. It is the longue durée that should command attention, for the only way that Ibn Saud could refashion to his own favour the historical connections that defined Islamic legitimacy in a political form was to cut the Gordian knot between Egypt and the Hijaz. He had to break up the Red Sea littoral system, and tie the holy places instead to the Saudi heartland of Najd. At the Red Sea's expense, the Arabian Peninsula, dominated by Saudi Arabia, became the new geo-political feature of the region.
Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have faced serious challenge... more Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have faced serious challenges over the past decade, from the rise of Iran and falling oil prices, to the Arab uprisings. In June 2016, with these issues in mind, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) at
Middle Eastern Studies, Oct 1, 2002
The history of modem Saudi Arabia has been one of moving towards increasing 'stateness'... more The history of modem Saudi Arabia has been one of moving towards increasing 'stateness', as the decentralized chieftaincy established by Ibn Saud became a monarchical state. This involved a lengthy process of 'encapsulation', the absorption of a myriad of social and religious ...
The Middle East Journal, 2002
This article examines Saudi Arabia's introduction of the Internet, and the manner in which t... more This article examines Saudi Arabia's introduction of the Internet, and the manner in which the Kingdom has sought to balance the communications, business, and economic advantages of the Information Revolution with the country's conservative form of Islam. The article also ...
This article examines the founding, social origins, and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syr... more This article examines the founding, social origins, and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria from 1945 to 1958. The organization was influenced ideologically by the original Egyptian Brotherhood, but its founding was essentially an independent move. Unlike its Egyptian ...
Middle Eastern Studies, Jan 1998
In the latter years of the nineteenth and the first years of this century, Arab nationalists bega... more In the latter years of the nineteenth and the first years of this century, Arab nationalists began to articulate their vision of a polity that would eventually replace the Ottoman framework. By the time Sharif Husayn ibn Ali al-Hashimi assumed the mantle of the Sharifate in Mecca in ...
Books by Joshua Teitelbaum
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Papers by Joshua Teitelbaum
Books by Joshua Teitelbaum